Studying ATPL theory at home

The World Health Organisation has now defined COVID-19 as a pandemic. In the past few days, several countries have responded by closing schools and colleges, or have suggested limiting social contact.

ATOs (approved pilot training organisations) will be advising students of their own guidelines, so please get in touch with them directly if you are unsure. While nothing can replace a great Theoretical Knowledge Instructor, if you do need to self-isolate, or want to study at home, we want to reassure ATPL ground school students that they can still make good progress towards their future careers.

The fact that our theory books are easily portable on iPads, iPhones and Macbooks is useful for working at home, of course. But, the content and structure of each ATPL theory book is also designed to make studying easier. Written by pilots for pilots, our ATPL subject books assume no prior knowledge and gradually build the understanding you’ll need from the ground up. So, even if you are starting a new subject at home, the books will explain everything you need to know for the ATPL exam.

Back in 2011, we launched the first-ever ATPL books for iPad, and those manuals were designed for modular pilots who would be undertaking ATPL ground school primarily through distance-learning. We knew that distance-learners would be mostly studying this material by themselves, and so wanted to make the syllabus as clear and easy to follow as possible.

Since then, our books have evolved and have more interactive features and study aids than ever. We’ve added hundreds of case-studies and Threat and Error Management flags to bring context and modern-day relevance to the theory that students must learn and memorise. Now, our books are used around the world. Not just by distance learners, but by cadets on every type of pilot training course: full time, part-time, integrated, MPL and modular.

But while the books are more advanced and more interactive, the philosophy of building a solid foundation of ATPL theory knowledge gradually, logically and incrementally hasn’t changed. Our aim has always been to help student pilots gain a holistic education in the theoretical knowledge that will form the basis of the rest of their professional training – as well as excellent exam results. A professional career requires rigorous preparation and our books provide that for the theory phase of pilot training.

Our partner ATOs provide professional preparation for a career as an airline pilot, and we will be supporting them as much as we can during COVID-19. Please get in touch with them if you’d like to find out more about becoming a pilot.

Padpilot books are available for Foundation stage, Private Pilot Licence (PPL), ATPL and Performance-Based Navigation (PBN). You can download them from the Apple Books Store directly or by enrolling with a Padpilot partner school.